ArticleInterdisciplinary cardiovascular and thoracic surgery2024
Antithrombotic therapy after heart valve surgery: contemporary practice in the UK.
Article in Interdisciplinary cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Reproducible Post-Valve-Replacement EHR Cohort for Comparative AI Studies.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Does the type of oral anticoagulant matter for stroke prevention or bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis.European heart journal open · 2025Article
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10 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesThere is a lack of high-quality data informing the optimal antithrombotic drug strategy following bioprosthetic heart valve replacement or valve repair. Disparity in recommendations from international guidelines reflects this. This study aimed to document current patterns of antithrombotic prescribing after heart valve surgery in the UK.
methodsAll UK consultant cardiac surgeons were e-mailed a custom-designed survey. The use of oral anticoagulant (OAC) and/or antiplatelet drugs following bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement or mitral valve replacement, or mitral valve repair (MVrep), for patients in sinus rhythm, without additional indications for antithrombotic medication, was assessed. Additionally, we evaluated anticoagulant choice following MVrep in patients with atrial fibrillation.
resultsWe identified 260 UK consultant cardiac surgeons from 36 units, of whom 103 (40%) responded, with 33 units (92%) having at least 1 respondent. The greatest consensus was for patients undergoing bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement, in which 76% of surgeons favour initial antiplatelet therapy and 53% prescribe lifelong treatment. Only 8% recommend initial OAC. After bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement, 48% of surgeons use an initial OAC strategy (versus 42% antiplatelet), with 66% subsequently prescribing lifelong antiplatelet therapy. After MVrep, recommendations were lifelong antiplatelet agent alone (34%) or following 3 months OAC (20%), no antithrombotic agent (20%), or 3 months OAC (16%). After MVrep for patients with established atrial fibrillation, surgeons recommend warfarin (38%), a direct oral anticoagulant (37%) or have no preference between the 2 (25%).
conclusionsThere is considerable variation in the use of antithrombotic drugs after heart valve surgery in the UK and a lack of high-quality evidence to guide practice, underscoring the need for randomized studies.
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